I imagine at home The forest is wrapped in deep
December A swelling blanket of ice that holds its fibers close The soft
sheet of snow that insulates and destroys A combination only Mother Nature
herself could perfect

To protect and destroy A gift of honor and yet of
evil What a gift it must be To keep the safety of one in hand And
destroy the self of another with a gesture

Deep December keeps the forest cold and uncertain
Afraid and unwilling it must march to winters gates Knowing the defeat
is inevitable It must bare a certain cost for a brighter season

When the cast of ice is shed beneath To bring about
life anew Will natures protective bow Bear another season of peace

I fear for us as I fear for the forest For we are now
lost in deep December Uncertain and unwilling we have marched To
winters gates  a growing lost Will those gates open again So we
can leave this cold embrace

And live again in the warmth of summer Or drown in
the chilling waters Of another long deep December

_________________________________________

Become Forever

Through the looking glass I peered Like peering into
the window of another world One cold, wrapped in the embrace of a sudden
winter An in-escapable cold that held all in its grip Tightened by the
chilling air, and spreading frost

The world had put us in perfect symmetry You and I
Visible to anyone, to the stars, to the moon And the sky

I peered at you, watching each movement, keen and
calculated My finger resting on the trigger Trying to focus myself away
from the moment Imagine it as though I was not me Making the entire
moment faded and created  a blurred and distorted reality

Though no thought or distortion No calculation or
dream could take me away from myself today The cold of winter, the growl of
hunger, and the growing content of disbelief had manifested too well within
me Fear not my brother in arms, for I am as afraid as you

Circumstance abound I released myself from duty For
it was not my duty to take you from this world The bullet to be your
chariot, carrying you into the realm beyond Their duty is theirs, not mine
So walk away my brother in arms, leave this place and pray for white
shore, open fields and the forgiving rays of a gentle sun

For I will lay down my rifle forever I will become
forever I will be the wind in the meadow The song of the sea The
hum of a sleeping child I will be immortal and everlasting I will be
today and tomorrow I will be free of duty, free of war, and riding the
soft waves of peace